La Caixa Foundation awarded four companies operating in Poland for incorporating social responsibility issues into a corporate strategy and creating employment opportunities for people experiencing difficulties entering or returning to the labour market.
Among the winners in the Small Business category, up to 50 employees, were: Factory-Serw. Piotr Różkowski, a company dealing with pipelines and technological installations and comprehensive welding services, as well as IDEA z o.o., owner of the Camera hostel in Warsaw. In the Large Company category, over 250 employees, a prize was awarded to Develey Polska, a mustard and sauces manufacturer. In the special category, the Forani Foundation was honored, dealing with care of people after transport accidents and running a charity shop in Warsaw. IBS as the coordinating organisation of the Programme in Poland has also been awarded the prize for supporting professional activation.
La Caixa banking Foundation awards are given to employers who employ beneficiaries of the “Włącz się” Programme, thus creating friendly jobs for the socially excluded persons. The selection criteria for the winners include: number of employed people excluded in relation to the whole of the company’s team, type of contract, position held, integration with the team or the possibility of doing apprenticeships. Candidatures for the award are submitted by non-governmental organizations supporting “la Caixa” Foundation Program in Poland: Scientific Foundation Institute for Structural Research, coordinator of all activities, the Aktywizacja Foundation, Otwarte Drzwi Association, Friends of Integration Association, Spoza Association and Sławek Foundation.